Miniaturized oxygen electrode

Abstract

A miniaturized oxygen electrode which comprises: an electrically insulating substrate; an electrolyte-containing material disposed on the substrate and capable of serving as an electrolytic solution when supplied with water; a set of component electrodes disposed on the substrate and composed of a first component electrode on which a reduction reaction of oxygen dissolved in the electrolytic solution occurs when the miniaturized oxygen electrode is operated and one or more second component electrodes other than the first component electrode, the first component electrode being interconnected with the second component electrodes through the electrolyte-containing material; an oxygen gas-permeable membrane covering the electrolyte-containing material; and the electrolyte-containing material having a length for providing a sufficient distance along the interconnection between the first and second component electrodes such that any electroactive substances, formed on one of the first and second component electrodes during the operation of the miniaturized oxygen electrode, are prevented from reaching the other of the first and second component electrodes when diffusing along the length of the electrolytic solution.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.